Two (2) section waist belt for side zipper style garments and the method of making the same

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to belts for use with garments such as equestrian riding breeches, pants, trousers, shorts, skirts and the like which have side zippers rather than front zippers. More particularly (but not exclusively), the present invention relates to a versatile and utilitarian two section belt that can be fastened and/or unfastened from more than one position on the wearer&#39;s waist (front or side) and that can also be adjusted from either buckle or billet end so as to fit a high, natural, or low waist side zipper garment.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the technical field of wearing apparel and relates generally to belts for use with garments such as equestrian riding breeches, pants, trousers and the like which have side zippers rather than front zippers. More particularly (but not exclusively), the present invention relates to a versatile and utilitarian, two section, belt that can be fastened and/or unfastened from more than one position on the wearer's waist (front or side) and that can also be adjusted so as to fit a high, natural, or low waist side zipper garment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In the field of wearing apparel, traditional belts fasten and/or unfasten in the front of the wearer's waist above the zipper and button or snap. This traditional styling is difficult for the wearer of equestrian riding breeches, pants or trousers with side zippers. These wearers have to remove the belt from the belt loops and in some cases half remove or totally remove the belt from the breeches, trousers, or pants when they need to remove or lower their garment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a leather belt and method of making the same that overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of the prior art. Specifically, the present invention provides a means for adjusting a belt to better fit side-zip garments and provides an easier means of putting on and taking off side zip garments

Traditional waist belts are made with belting material and hardware manufactured specifically for waist belts and in the standard buckle styles and sizes for apparel. The present invention utilizes leather and hardware specifically made for equine tack rather than apparel.

Traditional waist belts have five holes to select from for sizing and these holes are typically placed one inch apart. Accordingly, traditional belts have only three or four inches of possible size adjustment. The present invention has the traditional five holes for size adjustment on the larger billet end (placed one inch apart) and an additional three holes for size adjustment on the smaller billet end (placed three-quarters of an inch apart) thereby providing an additional inch to an inch and one half of size adjustment and a more custom, tailored fit.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An exemplary embodiment is a belt for use with a garment having a side zipper that is adjustable and versatile so that it can be worn with high, natural, or low waist side zipper garments. Another exemplary embodiment is a belt for use with equestrian side-zip riding breeches. An exemplary implementation includes a method of using a belt with a garment having a side zipper. This method includes positioning the larger buckle and billet at the front of the garment and the smaller buckle and billet end at the side of the garment directly above the side zipper allowing the belt to be fasten or unfastened from either mated buckle and billet end portion.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating at least one exemplary embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top view of an exemplary embodiment of the belt with the belt's mated-end portions attached to one another;

FIG. 2 is a frontal view of the belt's billet section;

FIG. 3 is a frontal view of the belt's buckle section;

FIG. 4 is a reverse view of the belt's buckle section;

FIG. 5 is a view of the belt being used on a garment (equestrian side-zip breeches) according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 5 illustrate an exemplary belt 1 in accordance with the principles of this invention. As shown in FIG. 5, the belt 1 is used with side zipper equestrian riding breeches. The belt can also be used with a wide range of other side zip garments such as pants, trousers, shorts, skirts and the like.

As shown in FIG. 5, the belt 1 is positioned on a garment (equestrian riding breeches) so that the larger buckle 2, keeper 4, and English-pointed billet end 7 are over the front seam of the garment 22; and the smaller buckle 8, keeper 10, and English-pointed billet end 13 at a 90 degree angle from the front seam and positioned over the garment's side zipper 21. The belt length is adjustable from either buckle or billet end through the respective five 6 or three 12 prong holes 3, 9 and thereby, the belt 1 is able to fit high, natural, or low waist garments. The belt can be fastened or unfastened from either buckle 2, 8 and billet end 7, 13 and thereby, overcomes the disadvantages and limitations of a traditional single buckle and billet belt.

As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the belt consists of two sections: a section with two billet ends FIG. 2; and a section with two buckle ends FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the exemplary embodiment uses one inch wide, English-pointed 7 leather belting tapered to a four inch long, three-quarter inch wide English-pointed end 14, 13. The exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 2 and 3 uses English-style bridle leather and the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 3 uses solid brass, nickel, or stainless steel hardware designed for equine tack such as bridles and martingales. As shown in FIG. 3, the exemplary embodiment uses a one inch buckle 2 and keeper 4 and a three-quarter inch buckle 8 and keeper 10 of the same style. The exemplary embodiment uses a #69 buckle of solid brass, nickel or stainless steel 2, 8 and a matching metal keeper 4, 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the billet end section has five holes 6 punched in the wider, English-pointed end 7 to receive the prong 3 of the larger buckle 2 of the buckle section and three holes 12 punched in the tapered English-pointed end 13, 14 to receive the prong 9 of the smaller buckle 8.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the buckle section is made by skiving the flesh (rough) side of the leather belting 18 at either end 5, 11 until it is one-half the thickness of the belting 5, 11. Slots 23, 24 are then punched for the prongs 3, 9 of the buckles 2, 8 and the ends are English-pointed 15, 19. The grain (smooth) side of the belting is then folded over 17, 20 and the prongs of the buckles 3, 9 are inserted and the buckles 2, 8 and keepers 4, 10 are sandwiched between the skived flesh sides of the belting. The folded-over sections 17, 20 are then attached with double cap rivets 16, 21. The exemplary embodiment shows the buckles 2, 8 and keepers 4, 10 being attached with double cap rivets 16, 21 however, the buckles 2, 8 and keepers 4, 10 can also be attached by stitching with thread or stitching and rivets may be used together to attach the buckles and keepers. 

1. A two section waist belt with one section having two buckle-ends and the other section having two billet-ends.
 2. A two section waist belt that encircles the waist of the wearer of side zip garments (such as equestrian riding breeches) and can be fastened and unfastened from either buckle.
 3. A two section waist belt that allows adjustment of the functional length of the belt in two ways due to the two separate buckles and belt billets thereby providing a multiple-use, custom, tailored fit for the wearer's low waist, natural waist or high waist side-zipper garments.
 4. The method of claims 1-3 wherein the belt buckle is in the front of the waist of the wearer of side-zip equestrian breech (as is the conventional location of the zipper in most breeches and trousers) while the side zip breech is designed with the zipper in the side of the garment at a 90 degree angle from the front of the waist of the wearer.
 5. The method of claims 1-3, wherein the section with two buckles is designed to compose 25% of the total length of the belt and the section with two billet ends is designed to compose 75% of the total length of the belt.
 6. The method of claims 1-3, wherein the two buckles and two keepers are of the same style but of different sizes. Specifically, the buckle which is located in the front of the waist of the wearer is larger than the second buckle which is located on the side of the waist of the wearer of side zip equestrian breeches. In the preferred embodiment the size of the larger buckle would be one inch and the size of the smaller buckle would be three-quarters of an inch. In the preferred embodiment the hardware would be solid brass, nickel, or stainless steel equine tack hardware.
 7. The method of claims 1-3, wherein the two buckles and two keepers are attached to the leather belting by skiving the flesh side of the leather so that it is half the thickness of the leather belting; English-pointing the ends; cutting slots for the prongs of the buckles; folding the grain side of the leather belting back over the inserted buckles, their prongs and their keepers; and finally securing the buckles and keepers with double cap rivets and/or stitching around the perimeter of the buckle and keeper attachment. The preferred embodiment of the leather belting is English-style bridle leather.
 8. The method of claims 1-3, wherein one billet end of the leather belting is tapered by cutting the leather so as to correspond with and fit the smaller size (but same style) buckle of the second section of the belt.
 9. The method of claims 1-3, wherein the billet ends of the leather belting to be attached to the buckles are English-pointed so as to fit within the respective larger and small buckles.
 10. The method of claims 1-3, wherein fastening and unfastening the belt requires positioning the smaller second buckle and billet end sections at a 90 degree, off-center angle from the larger buckle and billet end section so as to align the smaller second buckle and billet end with the side seam and zipper of a side-zipper garment.
 11. The method of claims 1-3, wherein fastening and unfastening the belt from the side zipper requires maneuvering only the 90 degree, off-center smaller second buckle and billet end sections, rather than the larger front buckle and billet end sections. 